h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We may one day discover that what we call "intelligence" is simply a very well organised set of instructions.
In this circumstance, both Turing and Searle could be correct, n'est-ce pas?

This is all down to whether or not you beleive we have a subjective experience or not. Technically 'Qualia'. As a human I'd like to think we have a subjective view i.e. my experience of red is mine and not yours even though it might be measurable in the physical world.

The ramifications are quite immense if we aren't special(self-aware whatever you want to call it) for example would there be a death penalty for killing a machine that is as conscious as you or I.

Are we no better than beasts or fools ? to paraphrase someone else.

Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity

Dredwerker> "would there be a death penalty for killing a machine that is as conscious as you or I?"

You can't prove whether a conscious machine has qualia or not - there's just no way to tell. Since I assume that my fellow human being have qualia, then it is reasonable to assume that an equally conscious machine has qualia. One hopes that a conscious machine would apply the same reasoning and hence care as much about my life as I about its.

I note that mankind has always tried to argue that it is special, with such joys as the Earth-centered solar system - and has always been proved wrong. History isn't really on your side here...

Of course, whether there should be a death penalty for *anything* is an entirely seperate issue, and just as controversial.